Leilani Leach
About Leilani Leach
Leilani Leach is an Associate Software Engineer at The New York Times, where she focuses on developing interactive news technologies. She has a diverse background in journalism, education, and software development, having held various roles in these fields since 2014.
Current Role at The New York Times
Leilani Leach serves as an Associate Software Engineer at The New York Times since 2021. In this role, she supports the Interactive News Technology team, focusing on developing quizzes and interactive embeds. She utilizes technologies such as React, Node, CSS, and Svelte to enhance user engagement and information delivery.
Previous Experience in Software Development
Prior to her current position, Leach gained experience as a Software Developer Intern at Elevāt.IoT in 2019. She also worked as a Web Development Instructor and Campus Operations Lead at Epicodus from 2019 to 2021. Her roles involved teaching web development skills and managing campus operations, contributing to her expertise in software development.
Background in Journalism and Media Production
Leilani Leach has a background in journalism, having worked as a Reporter Intern at Lens in 2016 and as an Editorial Fellow at Student Reporter in 2014. She studied Journalism at Western Washington University for one year, which provided her with foundational skills in collecting and distilling information for various audiences.
Educational Qualifications
Leach holds a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Technology and Culture with a media production emphasis from Washington State University, where she studied from 2012 to 2014. Additionally, she earned a Certificate in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language from the International TEFL Academy in 2018. Her education in technology and teaching supports her current role in software engineering.
Technical Skills and Training
Leach has developed a strong technical skill set through various training programs. She studied C#, JavaScript, and React at Epicodus from 2018 to 2019 and has been engaged in ongoing learning at freeCodeCamp, focusing on Responsive Web Design and JavaScript since 2018. Her training included 20 weeks of full-time pair programming, enhancing her collaborative coding abilities.